Threatened by Extinction, Female Red Panda Comes to River Safari for Cultivation Program

River Safari has added a female red panda in an international breeding program for endangered animals.

Starting from the Melbourne Zoo, Keta (pronounced “key-ta”) arrived in Singapore in January, said Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS), which manages River Safari, in a press release on Thursday (August 30).

However, Keta – that turned three years old in December – had not been directly put into her new environment. It took an eight-month guard to gain her trust and get her used to the exhibition, said WRS.

River Safari currently has two male red pandas – namely Karma and Puskar. Karma – that turned six years old in December – has been identified as Keta’s mate.

“Like introducing new animals, it is not uncommon to see small fights at the beginning,” said River Safari assistant curator Halim Ali. Compared to Keta, the six-year-old Karma has darker reddish-orange fur.

Keta will be displayed with the two red pandas until she feels comfortable with her playmates, said WRS.

Red Panda comes from Asia, and is classified as endangered on the International Red List for Red Nature Conservation because of threats such as habitat loss and hunting. There are around 10,000 red pandas left in the wild.